ENJOYING NATURE: Ayrton Konig took in the beautiful landscape.
Ayrton Konig moved to Roxby Downs when he was three with his family.
His parents moved here for work and opened a local business.
Attending Roxby Downs Area School while growing up, he was offered an opportunity to attend aprogram called Operation Flinders.
Operation Flinders is a unique program designed for troubled youth aged between 14 – 18 to take their life in a different direction.
Selected youth go on an eight day trek over 100km, carrying 12kg backpacks with their lunch, water, and sleeping gear, in groups of fifteen.
Each walk is held on Yankaninna Station, located 65kms east of Leigh Creek in the Northern Flinders Ranges.
The rugged and mountainous country is saltbush, native pine and mallee with large gum trees along creek beds.
Although dry, the creekbeds tend to flood easily with moderate rain.
The walk is designed to help the challenge participants and encourage them to break away from their past and change old habits and to turn their life in a new direction.
Ayrton was selected to participate on the walk three years ago, being troublesome and having low self-esteem issues, the program helped him to see positives and aim higher.
He has now been selected to become a peer group mentor on this year’s walk.
To become a mentor one needs to have previously participated in the program and responded well.
The aim of a peer group mentor was to help guide youth on the walk and be supportive during the trip.
Being selected to participate again Ayrton has decided to make it a charitable occasion, trying to raise money for ‘Operation Flinders’.
He has raised $5000 and hopes to reach $10000 with the money being put back into the program to help future participants.
Training five days a week doing cardio, muscle building and 20km rides at a time he is working very hard to achieve his goal.
The walk will take place on September 24 to October 5.
He plans to help participants as much as he can and show his support for the cause that helped him.